Iron deficiency anemia develops when body stores of iron drop too low to support normal red blood cell (RBC) production. Inadequate dietary iron, impaired iron absorption, bleeding, or loss of body iron in the urine may be the cause.
| Variable | Anemia of Chronic Disease | Iron–Deficiency Anemia | Both Conditions |
| Iron | Reduced | Reduced | Reduced |
| Trasnferrin | Reduced to normal | Increased | Reduced |
| Transferrin saturation | Reduced | Reduced | Reduced |
| Ferritin | Normal to increased | Reduced | Reduced to normal |
| Soluble transferrin receptor | Normal | Increased | Normal to increased |
| Ratio of soluble transferrin receptor to log ferritin | Low (<1) | High (>2) | High (>2) |
| Cytokine Levels | Increased | Normal | Increased |
Patients with both conditions include those with anemia of chronic disease and true iron deficiency.
References:
- Weiss G, Goodnough LT. Anemia of chronic disease. N Engl J Med. 2005 Mar 10;352(10):1011-23. [Medline]
Created: May 03, 2005
